William Collins
William Collins is a main-supporting character in Pride and Prejudice. He is married to Charlotte Lucas, the daughter of Sir William and Lady Lucas of Lucas Lodge in Hertfordshire. He is a distant cousin of Mr. Bennet's and the heir presumptive of the Bennet family home, Longbourn. He is twenty-five years old at the beginning of the novel. Biography Early life Mr. Collins became a clergyman and thus dedicated to the spreading of peace. He accepted the patronage of Lady Catherine, the daughter of an earl and an extremely wealthy woman. Lady Catherine established him in a parish. Offering the "olive branch" Mr. Collins's late father had a very nasty disagreement and rivalry with Mr. Bennet, and Collins pronounced this matter to give him "much uneasiness"Pride and Prejudice, Vol. I, Ch. 13 (pp. 59—60; First Folio ed. reprint 1996). After his father's death, he wrote to Mr. Bennet asking to patch things up. In his letter to Mr. Bennet, he dramatically calls the correspondence, "an olive branch", which he says that he feels that Mr. Bennet should be in no way forced to accept. This is also where he first mentions his patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Entails in Austen’s time always passed along an entirely male line, which means that none of the Bennet sisters or their children can inherit Longbourn. Mr. Collins is considered heir presumptive only because he could be displaced by the birth of a legitimate son to Mr. Bennet, either by his current wife or by a future wife should he be widowed and remarry; he could not be displaced as heir by the son of a Bennet daughter. His desire to marry one of his cousins may have been prompted by scruples or empathy, but he may have also considered that failing to do so might set his neighbours against him once he did inherit. Given that the property is entailed it might be thought that Mr. Collins’s surname should be Bennet, but it was not unusual for men at the time to adopt the surname of a benefactor. Rejection and marriage Mr. Collins also wished to find a wife among the Bennet sisters, namely Jane at first. After being deterred from the engagement by Mrs. Bennet, she pointed him in the direction of Elizabeth, and Mr. Collins fancies himself attracted to her. After offering her marriage, she refused twice. Later, Mr. Collins became engaged to Charlotte Lucas, much to Elizabeth's chagrin. They established themselves at Hunsford Parsonage, and lived a short distance away from Rosings Park, the family manor of the de Bourghs. Charlotte's pregnancy At the end of the novel, the two are expecting a child, but after that it isn’t known if she survived childbirth or even if the baby lived past infancy. Personality and traits Mr. Collins is best described by Elizabeth, as "conceited, pompous, narrow-minded, silly". Mr Collins is man of the church, yet he seems more concerned with his patron, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, than God. Mr. Collins is ridiculous and insensible. The narrator describes him as "a mixture or pride and obsequiousness, self-importance and humility." He tends to be very impressed with himself and his own ideas and rather obtuse or inconsiderate of the feelings of others, with the exception of his patroness Lady Catherine de Bourgh of course. To most people of rank or title he is a fawning toady, to speak bluntly, behaving been taught that connections are everything in his childhood. He is obviously a social climber, easily impressed by a title. This leads him to be easily manipulated by Lady Catherine. He also has the tendencies of a name-dropper, mentioning Lady Catherine and his ties to her at any opportunity. He is obviously quite self-absorbed, and is often viewed as bothersome to others. Jane Austen weaves a humorous and cringe-worthy character in Mr. Collins. His marriage is used to contrast against the marriages of Darcy and Elizabeth and Bingley and Jane, which were done for love. Role Mr. Collins is an important character in the story. He represents the eventual loss of Longbourn for the Bennet family, and the need for the Bennet sisters to marry as high up as they can, so they will be able to care for their unmarried sisters and widowed mother. Although made to look ridiculous, his position in life is anything but that. Quotations Notes and references Category:Pride and Prejudice Category:Characters in Pride and Prejudice Category:Male characters (Pride and Prejudice)